


Little changes

by Madam_Violet



Series: The Vault Chronicles [17]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gap Filler, Prompt Fic, The Vault (Doctor Who)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2019-03-20 06:20:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13711689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madam_Violet/pseuds/Madam_Violet
Summary: After meeting a new girl, the Doctor realises Missy is really afraid of changes.





	Little changes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [D_f_m22](https://archiveofourown.org/users/D_f_m22/gifts).



> Prompt from Meancatoal88  
> Thanks !

Over the years, the Doctor had learnt one thing about Missy : she didn't like changes. It was probably one of the sides effects of her life in the Vault. At first, the Doctor was worried the monotony would drive her crazy, but he soon found out it was the other way around.  
Each little change was challenging. What an exterior observer would have called a perfectly still place was actually full of little changes. Over the last 70 years or so, how many biscuit brands had been discontinued ? How many TV shows cancelled ? Way too much for Missy.  
Each little change was frightening and the Doctor wasn't exactly sure why. Nardole had found little solutions with time. He always alternated several brands of food, in case he couldn't find one particular product anymore, and he had bought DVDs so Missy could still watch her favourite shows at the right time. He also made sure to find her replacement clothes that matched the outfit she was wearing the day of her execution. She had enough bigger on the inside storing spaces to store her books, supplies and plaything without changing her living space layout.  
At first, the Doctor had suggested using his TARDIS but Nardole had warned him it wasn't healthy in the long term to keep Missy stuck in the 40s. The Doctor agreed, if she didn't accept little change she would miss so many things. Most of the items she had been afraid to miss were now forgotten in the back of her memory.  
Accepting a new person around her would be the biggest challenge the Doctor would ever expose her too. It was less the introduction that worried him than the day this person would leave. He kept the thought in the back of his mind. Bill would grow up and progressively go away from him, probably to get married, or some human stuff like this. It was sad but it was part of the life. Sectioned in her never changing safe space, Missy wouldn't see this, she wouldn't get the secret forces acting behind those changes. She would probably feel really distressed when the girl would stop coming. That was the main reason he never introduced Missy to anyone. Of course, the fact she was detained secretly and a very dangerous person were also determining factors. But Missy's mental health was his first preoccupation. New people would do a great good to her, though.

Lately, Nardole had tried to warn the Doctor several times, but the Time Lord had been too excited by his new building friendship he had been a bit forgetful. He finally agreed to go down when Missy had become too agressive and uncooperative with Nardole. It had been a few days since the cyborg last entered the Vault.  
He had reported several things that should have alarmed the Doctor, but he simply did as if she was acting up. He only reacted when Nardole finally stood on Missy's side.  
"Sir, I have to protest. You haven't been doing your duty one single time this week. Your friend is going restless."  
"I'm sure you're doing great. She likes you, you know. Even if she doesn't show it."  
"It's not the problem. She needs you. And soon I won't even be able to enter the Vault anyway. She refuses to go in the containment field and don't count on me to throw myself into the dragon's lair if she decides to go murderous."  
"Good point, I'll go tonight."  
"No, you go right now !"  
The Doctor sighed and headed to the cafeteria to tell Bill about the aborted excursion and buy Missy's lunch. Nardole was right, it was unfair to the Time Lady. He felt a little ashamed and wonder if it was the real reason why he was delaying his next visit. He knew she only could go a few days without seeing him. She was probably bored to death and anxious.

He knocked and introduced himself. On the other side, Missy didn't answer, but he could hear the fluttering of her skirts. The little light went green, showing she was inside the containment field. He opened the doors.  
Missy wasn't looking at him. Instead, she was focused on a very interesting and invisible spot on the floor. Her hair was a mess and she looked quite dirty. The Doctor swallowed and felt his hearts fall. She looked fragile and disturbed.  
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I should have come sooner."  
She didn't react, except for a meaningful snorting.  
"How are you ? Nardole told me you were feeling a bit down."  
She still didn't say anything, nor she stepped down as she usually did when he deactivated the force field. The Doctor took a few careful steps in her direction. As she wasn't moving, he took her hands in his. She didn't step back. Good.  
"I'll come here more often, I promise. How did it went with Nardole ? He said you weren't eating well either. It's not good. You should take care of yourself even when I'm not here. You know I still care for you, right ? And Nardole cares too. He can be a bit harsh, but there's nothing personal about this. He's like this with me too."  
She sniffed and suddenly threw herself in the Doctor's arms. He awkwardly hugged her while she burrowed her head under his jacket.  
"There, there sweetie. I acted like a fool and I'm sorry."  
She definitely needed a good bath he thought, wrinkling hos nose. Maybe he should run a warm bath for her, with salts and perfumed foaming soap.  
Missy still said nothing, as she curled on the Doctor's lap. He felt comfortable in the large armchair, and she was as light as a feather. Maybe he should make sure she hadn't lost too much weight. It wasn't the kind of things that preoccupied Nardole. He couldn't really see those details from the other side of the force field.  
"What's going on, Missy ? I've only been gone for a few days. It's not that much of time. And you've got plenty of books and DVDs. Do you still like the one about the house full of geeks ?"  
She simply nodded and rested her head on his shoulder again.  
"I don't like it when I don't know when you're coming back" she finally said, her voice hoarse.  
"I know, but I'm always back. Was Nardole mean to you ?"  
She nodded quietly.  
"He scolded me yesterday because I was banging to the door but I did it on purpose to scare him. He's still scared of me and it's fun."  
"You've been acting up a lot lately. He told me you made few threatening gestures and not so funny jokes."  
"If a girl can't have fun..." she muttered.  
"I'm serious. You need to learn how to behave in society, Missy. Nardole doesn't have anything against you, but if you treat him badly he won't be so keen on making you happy. You're such a lovely person, why do you keep frightening people ?"  
Missy bit her lip.  
"Because as long as he can guard me and bring me food you don't need to show up."  
"He cares for you, you know. It's not nice to treat him like this. And I won't abandon you, you know."  
"I preferred when you came every day."  
"I know. What about every Sunday ?"  
Missy smiled.  
"Every Sunday seems good. As long as it's every something it's good."  
The Doctor suddenly realised how Missy was dependant to routine and order. Maybe the true problem wasn't the length of his absence but the lack of regularity. Glancing around him he could only notice how still time was behind those walls. Maybe a change of scenery would only be good for her.  
"Missy, you know I've met someone, right ?"  
She winced painfully, a dangerous glimmer in the eyes.  
"I was thinking, maybe it would be nice if you made a new friend."  
"Why ? I've got you and the egg. It's far enough friends."  
The Doctor couldn't help to smile when she acknowledged Nardole as a friend.  
"Bill is really nice and smart. You would like her."  
"Hmm. She's still human. Not worth my time."  
The Doctor knew too well she was actually too afraid to let a stranger come into her sanctuary.  
"I was thinking" he continued tentatively "Maybe you'd like a few new toys."  
Missy nodded eagerly.  
"Are you trying to make up for your future absences ?"  
"No, I want to give you a bit of changing. You need to see things, try new activities. What about learning to play an instrument ?"  
"Hmm, I'm not really a musician."  
"You could learn. You need to learn a lot of things while you're here. Plus it would help you to communicate your emotions. You're not aware of it, but when you're like this, closed like an oyster, it's really hard to reach you. You wouldn't have to knock in a threatening way if you had been able to express what you were feeling. Nardole would have listened to you, you know."  
"He never listen to me."  
"Trust me, he would if you were trying to reach him. I know he can be tedious, but he's a good soul and he only wants the best for both of us."  
Missy shrugged, sceptical.  
"Anyway, a piano would be good."  
"And where would you put it ?" Missy complained.  
The Doctor couldn't contain a laugh.  
"You have an almost empty room ! And if you think it's too much we could remove one chair or two, or an armchair. You don't need all those seats."  
Missy vigorously shook her head.  
"You won't touch anything in my room."  
"Missy, don't be like this. I'm sure you would get used to it. You got used to a lot of new things over the years. Would you be happy to go back to the 40s, when you had no TV and only a few radio stations ?"  
"I prefer right now. Right now is good, I don't want to change anything."  
"You're happy when I buy you a new comic, no ?"  
"New comics don't count as change. Except when a character dies, but I can read the old issues again so it's not really a change either."  
"Right now isn't better than yesterday and tomorrow won't be bad either. Even here you need to feel the flight of time."  
Missy burrowed her head in the Doctor's armpit, shaking her head like a reluctant toddler.  
"I don't want to. We're still the day after you rescued me. It will always be yesterday. I don't want to spend a thousand years in this cage."  
The Doctor sighed and began stroking her hair, his long fingers massaging her scalp. He could almost hear her purr like a cat.  
"It will be one long day if you decide it is. I promise I won't force anything upon you. But I still think it would be good to create distinct memories of the decades you spend here. I know present always feels eternal. How do you think I deal with my human friends ? I always have this false but so present feeling they will always be there. Everyone live like this because we're all afraid of changes. But looking back we're happy to see the good memories coming one after each other."  
"I don't know, I don't have a lot of good memories I'm happy to think about."  
"I promise you will have soon. We made plenty of good memories here. And what if instead of one big long memory we created plenty of different ones. Not very different. Just time periods."  
Missy nodded timidly.  
"I'll bring you a piano, right ? I've always told you this containment field looked like a stage. We could give it a new use."  
"I will play music for you only."  
"And one day I might introduce you to a few friends, but I know it's going to be a lot for you so what about we wait a little ?"


End file.
